On the fourth day before Christmas, my true love said to me: ‘Where would you like to go for a glamorous, feelgood drink, darling?’ And I said: ‘Claridge’s Bar – where else?’ We at Editer adore the grand old lady of Brook Street, and always enjoy twirling into the lobby, melting into the dim-lit Fumoir, or fantasising about taking a suite for a week or so.
A rendezvous in the filmically gorgeous main bar is a top-drawer Christmas treat for a Londoner. In case you don’t get there, here’s a champagne cocktail for you to make at home, courtesy of bartender Denis Broci.
‘When I think of Christmas, it’s the scents of brandy and port that come to me,’ says Denis, who has presided over Claridge’s Bar for four years. ‘We’ve come up with a twist on a classic cobbler, containing those flavours that evoke after-dinner festivities and log fires. This is a luxurious, elegant cocktail, reminiscent of mulled wine with a little fizz.’
The Claridge’s champagne cobbler
What you’ll need
- One orange slice, cut in half
- One lemon slice, cut in half
- Four blackberries
- 20ml brandy
- 20ml port
- 10ml crème de mure liqueur
- 25ml champagne
- 5ml sugar syrup
- Two dashes of orange bitters
‘Use a dry champagne or, if you use prosecco, use a little less of the sugar and the liqueur’
Denis’s top tips
- Use a dry champagne or, if you use prosecco, use a little less of the sugar and the liqueur.
- Do use tall glasses – crushed ice doesn’t work in a coupe or flute.
- If you have to use ice cubes, allow the drink to dilute a little before serving.
- The port should be a full-bodied one, for example: a fine ruby port, rather than a tawny port.
- You can easily make a bowl of this for a party – just share the fruit out equally.